How to Make Your Digital Portfolio Work For You

December 10, 2013

3 min read

With hundreds of applications pouring in for one job opening, it’s no secret that standing out is a must. Yet it’s hard to get too creative with a traditional resume. That’s why an online portfolio is a necessity. When you have an online portfolio in addition to a paper resume, it makes it much easier to give a hiring manager a 3D look at what you have to offer. Here’s how to make your digital portfolio work for you:

Figure out where you want to focus your attention

Just like your resume, your online portfolio requires some organization. If you start randomly listing every internship you’ve ever had, it will become a cluttered mess. Instead, start by making a list of every accomplishment you’ve had, job you’ve held, and internship you’ve completed. From there, focus on a handful of things that you really want to focus on. This helps you to keep your online portfolio succinct, yet still effective.

Pick a platform that you like

If your portfolio is going to be a website with links to your social media pages, you’ll want to figure out which platform works best for you. Some people swear by WordPress, while others enjoy Blogger or Weebly. Pick a choice that you find to be user friendly, and focus your efforts on developing out your site. It doesn’t matter whether your selection is the popular one, as long as you can build a great site with it.

Buy your own domain name

In order to make it easy for potential clients or employers to find you, you’ll want your domain name to be simple. If you can’t buy your own domain name (JohnSmith.com, for example) try to purchase something that is easy to remember. You want to make it effortless for people to stumble upon your site, and if the domain name is too long or specific this won’t be easy to do.

Update it regularly

Far too many people invest time and money into making a great digital portfolio, but then forget to keep it updated. Suddenly the work that’s listed on there is two years old, and won’t catch a hiring manager’s eye. Once you’ve made the initial investment into an online portfolio, make sure to maintain it properly so it retains its value.

Put all of your materials in one spot

If you have one website and domain name that contains some of your work and another with more of your work, it can become confusing to hiring managers or potential clients. To make it easy to find you, your branding should be the same across all platforms. If you are Design by Susie on Twitter, then that should be your domain name and the name on your Facebook fan page. This uniformity is important in creating a name for yourself online.

What other tricks have you used to make your online portfolio stand out?

Lauren Levine

Lauren Levine is a copywriter/blogger who contributes to a number of magazines and websites including The Frisky, USA Today, and others. She also authors her own blog called Life with Lauren. She loves cooking, anything on the E! network, and is trying to convince herself that running isn't so bad.

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